Happy Easter Sunday! The Day of the Resurrection! Not bunnies, eggs, flowers and chocolates.
The AOC Sunday report can be downloaded RIGHT HERE.
We have excellent sermons today from Bishops Jerry, Roy, Yves and Jack, as well as Rev Bryan. Given Easter is the central event of the Christian year, you might expect a little more attention given to the sermons today. You would be right. Each of them is a bit longer than usual and in line with the importance of the subject probably even better than usual. They are all very easy reads, each is well worth your time.
Jack’s sermon is below the propers and can be viewed on video HERE -> https://youtu.be/aZmK8kjCpPc
This really is one of Bishop Jack’s very best sermons. It looks at the unifying message of the Collect, Epistle and Gospel and examine the unifying message of the Collect, Epistle and Gospel and examine how they share a common message of action as we celebrate Jesus’ delivery of the promise of life eternal with Him in our life to come. This Day of the Resurrection is when the promise of eternal life is delivered. Those who condemned him on the Friday morning now left on the ash heap of history. There was a reason God set Easter, as well as the Passover, in the springtime. It is important to think about Jesus’ example before we do what we want to do. We must remember His Example when times get harder and more difficult as it becomes closer to the end of this world and the beginning of our eternity with God. Action, not diction is what counts. It all comes together.
As always, we have a lot of people who desire your prayers. I know that seems to never change, that is because the need is always there. Today we ask you start with the Richards family; Rachel Richards and her daughter, Lydia, were just in a very bad car accident. They are the wife and daughter of Rev Joshua Richards. Rachel is in intensive care in one hospital and Lydia was treated and released from another hospital. Rachel’s injuries are severe. More details in the report.
Today, Easter is, in Spanish La Resurreccion, in English The Resurrection, The Return to Life of Jesus, Christ of God, who returned from death, from Hell, to deliver His promise of eternal life in person!
As we witness the miracle of our Lord’s return, are we following up with action on our part? We all need to see if we are really opening our heart to God’s guidance in the form of the Holy Ghost. If we’re not, and I doubt any of us really are as much as we could, we need to try harder and harder to do that. It is very difficult to follow God’s instructions if you don’t listen to them.
May you set your course on the constant North Star of our Lord.
Godspeed,
Hap Arnold
Bishop Coadjutor
Anglican Orthodox Church Worldwide
